HISTORY OF WESTERN MARYLAND. BEING A HISTORY OF FREDERICK, MONTGOMERY, CARROLL, WASHINGTON, ALLEGANY, AND GARRETT COUNTIES FROM THE EARLIEST PERIOD TO THE PRESENT DAY; INCLUDING BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF Til KIR REPRESENTATIVE MEN. BY J. THOMAS SCHARF, A.M., AUTHOR OF "CHRONICLES OF BALTIMORE," "HISTORY OF BALTIMORE CITY AND COUNTY," "HISTORY OF MARYLAND;" MEMBER OF THE MARYLAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND ACADEMY OF SCIENCES; MEMBER OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA J HONORARY MEMBER OF THE GEORGIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY; CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIETIES OF NEW YORK, WISCONSIN, MINNESOTA, SOUTH CAROLINA, AND VIRGINIA; OF THE HISTORICAL AND PHILO­ SOPHICAL SOCIETY OF OHIO; OF THE NEW ENGLAND HISTORIC-GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY, ETC., ETC. IN TWO VOLUMES, ILLUSTRATED. VOL. II- P 11 T L A I) E L 1J H I A : LOUIS H. EVERTS. 1882. 920 HISTORY OF WESTERN MARYLAND. she grew up to womanhood. She was the oldest of Carey, the mover of the Bill of Rights in the Vh1. her family. The home plantation being large enough ginia House of Burgesses. Nathaniel was a colonel for two places was divided between her brothers, Cor­ in the Virginia Line during the Revolutionary war nelius and Israel. The latter with his family having and died early in the present century at an old age. died, the former afterwards sold the places and went He left two sons,—Henry Carey and Thomas Cecil West. Rebecca Shriver died Nov. 24, 1812, aged Gist. His eldest daughter, Sarah Howard, married seventy years, ten months, and three days. the Hon. Jesse Bledsoe, a United States senator from Mordecai Gist, so distinguished in the Revolution­ Kentucky, and a distinguished jurist, whose grandson ary struggle, was a son of Capt. Thomas Gist and B. Gratz Brown, was the Democratic candidate for Susan Cockey, and was born in Baltimore Town, Feb. Vice-President in 1872. The second daughter of 22, 1742. He was edu­ Gen. Nathaniel Gist, Anne (Nancy), married Col. cated at St. Paul's Parish Nathaniel Hart, a brother of Mrs. Henry Clay. The School, Baltimore City, third daughter married Dr. Boswell, of Lexington, and at the breaking out Ky. The fourth daughter, Eliza Violetta Howard of the Revolution was a Gist, married Hon. Francis P. Blair, and they were merchant doing business the parents of Hon. Montgomery Blair, ex-Postmaster- on Gay Street. The Gists General, and Gen. Francis P. Blair, Jr. The fifth were early emigrants to daughter married Benjamin Gratz, of Lexington, Ky. Maryland, and took an Mordecai Gist was a member of the Baltimore Town active part in the affairs non-importation committee in 1774, and in December of the province. Chris­ of the same year was captain of the first company topher Gist was of Eng­ raised in Maryland. He was three times married. GEN. MORDECAI GIST. lish descent, and died in His first wife was a Miss Carman, of Baltimore Baltimore County in 1691. His wife was Edith County, who died shortly after marriage. His second Cromwell, who died in 1694. They had one child, was Miss Sterrett, of Baltimore, who died in giving Richard, who was surveyor of the Western Shore, and birth to a son. His third was Mrs. Cattell, of South was one of the commissioners in 1729 for laying off Carolina. She also bore him a son. One of the boys Baltimore Town, and was presiding magistrate in was named " Independent," the other " States." Gen. 1736. In 1705 he married Zipporah Murray. Chris­ Mordecai Gist died at Charleston, S. C, Aug. 2,1792. topher Gist, one of his sons, because of his knowledge On Jan. 1, 1776, the Maryland Convention ap­ of the country on the Ohio and his skill in dealing pointed Mordecai Gist second major of Col. Small- with the Indians, was chosen to accompany Washing­ wood's First Maryland Battalion. In the battle on ton on his mission in 1753, and it was from his jour­ Long Island, in August, 1776, the Maryland regi­ nal that all subsequent historians derive their account ment, not numbering more than four hundred and of that expedition. Christopher Gist, the son of fifty, was commanded by Maj. Gist, as Col. Small- Richard, married Sarah Howard, the second daughter wood and Lieut.-Col. Ware were in New York at­ of Joshua and Joanna O'Carroll Howard, and hud tending the court-martial of Lieut.-Col. Zedwitz. On four children,—Nancy, who died unmarried, and Washington's retreat through New Jersey, Maj. Gist's Thomas, Nathaniel, and Richard. Christopher, with Marylanders were reduced to one hundred and ninety his sons Nathaniel and Richard, was with Braddock effective men, who with Lord Stirling's and Gen. on the fatal field of Monongahela, and for his services Adam Stephen's brigades covered the retreat. Maj. received a grant of twelve thousand acres of land Gist's (formerly Smallwood's) regiment, on Dec. 1, from the King of England. It is said that Thomas 1776, re-enlisted for three years. In February, 1777, Gist was taken prisoner at Braddock's defeat, and Gen. Smallwood sent Col. Mordecai Gist with a de­ lived sixteen years with the Indians in Canada. tachment against the Somerset and Worcester County Richard married and settled in South Carolina, and Tories and insurgents, who were put to flight, many was killed at the battle of King's Mountain. He has captured, and the others forced into obedience by his descendants yet living in that State. Thomas, after stern measures, and the disaffection quieted by over­ his release from captivity, lived with his father on the awing and quelling the insurgents. The battle of grants in Kentucky, and became a man of note, pre­ Brandywine was fought Sept. 11, 1777, when Col. siding in the courts till his death, about 1786. Gen. Gist was at home attending his sick wife, but on Nathaniel Gist married Judith Carey Bell, of Buck­ learning of its disastrous termination, by a special ingham County, Va., a grandniece of Archibald express he instantly rejoined the army with reinforce- CARROLL COUNTY. 921 ments collected at home. In May, 1779, when Harriet Dorsey, wife of Nicholas Dorsey, and daughter of Maryland was threatened with British invasion, on Col. Joshua Gist, died June 25, 1804, aged 74 years and 18 days. the application of its Governor, Col. Gist was ordered Sarah (Harvey) Gist, wife of Col. Joshua Gist, died June 6, to that State, and assumed command of its defenses, 1827, aged 72 years, 7 months, and 4 days. fieri. DeKalb, who died on the third day after he was Sarah (Gist), wife of Lewis A. Beatty, died March 30th, in wounded, near Camden, S. C. (Aug. 16, 1780), in her 27th year. Rachel, wife of Independent Gist, died May 2, 1830, aged his last moments dictated letters to Gens. Gist and 50 years, 1 month, and 15 days. Smallwood expressive of his affection for them and Independent, son of Gen. Mordecai Gist, died Sept. 16, 1821. their men, who had so nobly stood by him in that Richard Gist, died Aug. 6, 1844, aged 23 years. deadly battle. In this battle DeKalb led a bayonet Mary G., wife of States Lingan Gist, and daughter of States charge with Col. Gist's Second Maryland Brigade, Gist, of Charleston, S. C, died Feb. 8, 1847, aged 30 years. Bradford Poreher Gist, born May 28, 1842, died Jan 2,1865. drove the division under Rawdon, took fifty prison­ He was a soldier of the Union, and died from disease contracted ers but fell exhausted after receiving eleven wounds. while a prisoner. Congress voted thanks to Gens. Gist and Smallwood Richard Milton, infant son of Mordecai and Elizabeth (Orn- and their men. In June, 1781, Gen. Gist joined dorff) Gist, died Sept. 13, 1871. Maggie, only child of George "W. and Mary Owings, died Lafayette's army on the march to Yorktown with the Sept. 21, 1863, aged 3 years, 1 month, and 8 days. Maryland levies. On Nov. 21, 1783, at a meeting Elizabeth (Gist), wife of Joseph Woods, born June 8, 1844, of the officers of the Maryland Line to form a State died Dec. 3, 1873; and her daughter, Mary, died Oct. 15, 1877, Society of the Cincinnati, Gen. Otho H. Williams aged 3 years, 4 months, and 26 days. Rachel, infant daughter of Mordecai and Elizabeth (Orn- presided, and Lieut.-Col. Eccleston was secretary. dorff) Gist, died 1873. Maj.-Gen. Wru. Smallwood was made permanent The Gists were of English descent, and took an president; Brig.-Gen. Mordecai Gist, vice-president; active part in the affairs of the province. Christo­ Col. Nathaniel Ramsey, treasurer; and Brig.-Gen. pher Gist married Edith Cromwell, sister of Richard Otho H. Williams, secretary. Cromwell, a son or brother of Oliver Cromwell. Joshua Gist, one of the early settlers in Carroll Christopher Gist died in Baltimore County in 1691, County, was a brother of Gen. Mordecai Gist, and and his wife, Edith, in 1694. Their only child, was born in Baltimore Town, Oct. 16, 1743. His Richard Gist, married Zipporah Murray, by whom he parents were Capt. Thomas and Susan (Cockey) had three sons—Christopher, Nathaniel, and Thomas— Gist. His grandfather was Richard Gist, son of and four daughters,—Edith, Ruth, Sarah, and Jemima. Christopher, the emigrant. During the administra­ Christopher married Sarah Howard, Edith was mar­ tion of John Adams, near the close of the last century ried to Abraham Vaughan, Ruth to William Lewis, (1794), an excise duty was laid on stills. This Sarah to John Kennedy, and Jemima to Mr. Sea- created what was then known as the "Whisky In­ brook.